Close win over tough opponent on the road shows Carolina is for real

8:31 PM,
Nov. 11, 2013

The Carolina defense celebrates after Drayton Florence's interceptions in the final minute against San Francisco on Sunday.

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The Carolina Panthers won an ugly, low-scoring and hard-hitting football game on Sunday.

It was the type of win that gives Panthers fans a reason to believe their team can make the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Carolina entered Sunday's game against San Francisco with a four-game winning streak against teams that are a combined 9-27 entering Monday night. Four-game winning streaks are hard to come by regardless of the opposition, but it was still hard to but to take the Panthers seriously as a playoff contender until they beat a really good team. ...